TrilbyTV didn’t just appear overnight. Like many (brilliant) ideas, it grew over time – shaped by two people with real experiences within schools, evolving technology and a shared belief that communication in education can always be better.
But before our digital signage duo came together to change the game in school comms, let’s rewind about 30 years. More specifically, to 1993.
Originally founded by Director Ben Stanley’s father, the mission was simple: enable educators to make effective use of technology. At the time, ‘multimedia’ was still an emerging concept: bringing together text, images, audio and video in ways that were new, especially in classrooms.
So why Trilby?
Well, it’s pretty simple really. Ben’s father (along with his father before him) wore hats. He became known as ‘the man with the hat’ in his place of work, however ‘Man-with-the-hat Multimedia’ didn’t roll off the tongue… so Trilby Multimedia was chosen.
There’s another reason why ‘Trilby’ stuck, though. The traditional hat is made of felt – a soft, tactile material. It was a natural fit for the team’s personality and work ethic: friendly, approachable and human. The trilby hat became more than just a name, it was the symbol of how the company wanted to present itself.
Here’s a bonus history lesson for you.
The trilby hat itself gets its name from the 1895 novel ‘Trilby’ by George DuMaurier. In stage adaptations, the main character (Trilby) wore a distinctive short-brimmed hat, which went on to become a popular style and eventually took on the name.
In the story, Trilby gains the ability to sing beautifully under the influence of mystical hypnotist Svengali. A slightly unusual link, we can admit, but one that loosely ties back to the idea of unlocking potential. And in many ways, that idea has always sat at the heart of TrilbyTV.
The early days of Trilby Multimedia
In the early days, the work was hands-on, supporting schools with their ‘multimedia production’ and helping teachers and students create content.
However, as time went on, something became increasingly clear. Creating content was only half the story, and schools didn’t want to just make things… They wanted to share them too.
Fast forward to Coseley School in Dudley. They showed a VHS recording (remember those?) of a football match and displayed it on-screen during their lunch hour. The results brought about a decrease in lunchtime off-site attendance issues, and the students were genuinely excited to see themselves on screens with their friends.
By 2005, that idea of sharing content had turned into something real. Trilby had built a platform for Coseley school called ‘CoseleyTV’, which allowed schools to upload, share and watch video across their network on any computer.
The team continued to grow, making and doing some incredible things. Building websites, running creative education training, media production, and the rest. The CoseleyTV project was made available to other schools who had access to servers and websites for students to upload and share content.
Choosing their direction
In 2014, Neil Emery joined as a Director, and together, Ben and Neil shaped the future of Trilby Multimedia. With all the different directions they could have gone in, they decided to focus on one single and successful project… TrilbyTV.
Although TrilbyTV has developed over the years, one thing has remained the same. We are the number one digital signage platform made for education. A simple, easy to use software built to be accessible to everyone – not just IT teams. A platform that fits into the day-to-day life of a school, rather than adding another layer of complexity.
At its core, TrilbyTV has never just been about screens. It’s about communication. Helping schools share what’s happening, celebrating those everyday moments, and keeping students, staff and visitors informed in a way that feels natural and stays visible.
So even though TrilbyTV has evolved over the last 30 years, this thread has always been there. From early multimedia projects, to the first iteration of video sharing platforms, and now to digital signage for whole-school communication.
And now, with a team of 22 talented individuals, working with hundreds of schools across the globe, we’re still doing the same thing we set out to do over 30 years ago, shaped by decades of learning, and real-world experience.
As we open up the TrilbyTV archives over the next few weeks, we hope you’ll enjoy learning more about us, our team, and the schools already using our platform.
Because the concept of ‘then and now’ isn’t just about looking back. It’s about understanding the journey and appreciating how we got here today.